Feed mechanism



(No Model.) l

P. H. RICHARDS.

FEED MEGHANISM.

No. 404,365. Patented May 28, 1889.v

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UNITED [STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ECKLEY B. COXE, OF DRIFTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

FEED MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,365, dated May 28, 1889.

Application iiled January l0,I 1889.

T all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new an d useful Improvem ents in Hand-Controlled- Power Feed Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to, and its object is 1o to furnish, mechanism adapted to actuate the feed-shafts of heavy machines-such as large machinetools and the like-wherein the movement of such shafts should loe controlled by the hand of the operator, while the power i 5 required is beyond his ability or convenience; and it consists in certain improvements whereby the operator, by moving one part, as a hand-wheel, by hand, causes power to be automatically applied to another part to produce a corresponding motion, as hereinafter more fully set forth. Y

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this speciication, Figure 1 is a plan view of a mechanism embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the clutch-actuating devices.l

Fig. 4 is an end elevation, as seen from the right hand in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are side and sectional views, respectively, of one of the stop-collars.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures.

The frame-work of my improved mechan- 3 5 ism will in practice generally be some part of the frame-work of the machine in connection with which the mechanism may be employed; but the several operative details may be assembled upon a bed-plate, A, provided with suitable bearings and supports therefor. The primary driving-shaft or counter-shaft 2 is or may be carried in bearings 3 and 5 and driven by a pulley, 4, fixed thereon. From this shaft two reversely operated frictionwheels 6 and 8 are driven by suitable gearing or some well-known equivalent therefor. For this purpose I make said .wheels to be gear-wheels, the wheel S being driven by pinion 10 on shaft 2, and the wheel '6 driven reo versely by the pinion 12 through the inter mediate gear, 11, that is carried on stud 9,

Serial No. 295,9203/2. (No model.)

fixed in the frame-work. The said frictionwheels are carried on the opposite ends of the main driving-shaft 15, which shaft is carried in the bearings 13 and 14, and has fixed 55 thereon a worm, 7, that meshes with and drives the wormwheel 17 on the feed-shaft B. Said wheels are iitted to turn freely on said shaft contiguous to the bearings 13 and 14, respectively, and a nut, 19, Fig. 3,is provided 6c to retain the wheel 6 in proper position longitudinally of the shaft. Sliding frictionrings 16 and 18 are splined to the shaft 15 and constructed to be slid thereon into frictional engagement with the friction-wheel. A suitable construction and arrangement of this detail is shown in the drawings, and will be understood from Fig. 3, in which 21 is the spline or key in shaft 15, and over which the disk 16 is tted to slide. 22 is a disk af- 7o fixed to the hub of the disk 16 by screws 23.

25 is a shipper -rod or connecting-rod connected to the ring 16 by said disk 22 and by the nut 24.

The minor details are represented to be the same for each of the friction-disks 16 and 18, and hence, so far as such details are shown, the same are similarly designated. The wheels 6 and 8 being revolved continuously in opposite directions, by sliding the rod 25 Se (within the hollow shaft 15) in one direction one frictiondisk is engaged with its wheel and the shaft B correspondingly rotated, and by a reverse movement of said rod 25 the opposite driving mechanism is brought into ac- 8 5 tion and the shaft B is reversely rotated. For thus operating the said rod 25, and through it the said shaft, I employ devices wherein the connection between the,v hand-wheel and that rod is made through a part whose motion is a 9o resultant of two motions, one being communicated fronithe hand-wheel and the other from the driven mechanism. By this means I obtain the result which constitutes the principal object of my present improvements. The following is a description of the best form of devices now known to me for carrying into effect my said invention'.

The shaft 15 has an enlargement, 26, and carries an internally-threaded shell, 28, jourroo naled at 27 on said shaft at one end of the enlargement 26. A gear, 30, is afiixed to the Ysaid shell, and is journaled at 2t) on shaft l5 at the opposite end of said enlargement. lVhen in place and secured together, (by screws 3l or otherwise) these two parts constitute in effect one piece of machinery, fitted to revolve freely on shaft l5 and held in place longitudinally thereof by the enlargement 2G. A pinion, 32, meshing with said gear, a shaft, 33, carrying said pinion 32, the bearing 34, supporting said shaft 33, and hand-wheel 35, fixed on shaft 33, areprovided to turn said shell by hand. A sliding collar, 3G, Fig. 3, is fitted upon said portion 2G of shaft l5, and has a thread meshing` with that inside of the shell 28. This collar stands over a slot or mortise, 37, in said part 26, and has a key, 3S, which passes through it and said mortise to rigidly connect the same with the sliding' clutch-rod 25. Said key 3S also serves as a means for preventing the rotation of said collar 36 on said shaft l5. These several parts together furnish or constitute a means for imparting the required longitudinal motion to the rod by the turning of said shell 28 on said shaft l5, and the collar 3G constitutes the part above referred to, whose motion is the resultant of two motions, one being communicated thereto from the handwheel 35 and the other from the shaft l5, for if the shaft l5 be not revolving that collar may be moved by hand, as set forth, and if said shaft be revolving and theshell 28 be held from revolving, then said collar will be moved by the shaft; but if the shaft be revolving at one speed and the shell at another speed the longitudinal motion of the said collar will be a resultant of the said two movements. These several elements are so proportioned and organized that if the hand-wheel be turned in one direction-as, for instance, to engage friction-wheel Gsaid wheel G will turn shaft l5 in a direction to move rod 25 toward the right hand and thus disengage said driviilg-wheel. Consequently, if shaft l5 is to be turned fo'r any given time, the hand-wheel must be turned correspondingly during that time, and if the hand-wheel be turned slower than the motion (relatively) of wheel G then the friction-surfaces of parts G and 1G will slip one on the other by the difference between the relative motions of the said parts (5 and 35 g and thus, as it will nowbe seen, the motion of the shaft l5 and the parts driven thereby is controlled by hand, while the required power for actuating said parts is furnished by the driving apparatus.

For adapting my improved mechanism to more general and convenient use, I provide the same with devices or apparatus for holding the shell or revolving nut 23 normally in a certain position circumferentially on the shaft l5. These devices l make in duplicate sets and place one set at either end of said revolving nut. The said devices in one set are designated by figures, and of the other set by the same figures, with the addition thereto of a prime mark. Each set consists of a stop-key, 40, formed or fixed on shaft l5, a stop or lug, 4l, on the revolving nut, a stopcollar, 42, engaging with said key 40 and lug 4l. and having a limited movement on said shaft l5 and relative to said key and lug, a returnspring, 44, carried on the shaft l5 and connected at 43 to revolve the collar 42, and an adjustable collar, 45, connected at 4G to the opposite end of said spring, whereby the same may be put under sufficient tension to turn the stop-collar 42 through the limited movement aforesaid, and, if need be, overcome at the same time the resistance of the said revolving nut, together with the inertia of the hand-wheel.

The collar 45 maybe clamped by screws 47 to the shaft l5 in a well-known manner.

The spring 44-is or maybe an ordinary spiral torsioiii-sprin 0'.

The proper construction of the stop-collar is shown in Figs. 5 and G. A section of the inner surface is cnt away, as at. 4S, to permit of the necessary turning motion of the collar 0n the shaft l5 and against the stop-key 40. Another section at 49 is cnt away for the stop 4l on the revolvin nut. The normal arrangement of t-hese parts when the mechanism is idle is shown best in Fig. l. In this case the stop-collars 42 and 42 stand against the respective stop-keys of the shaft l5 and against the opposite sides of the said lugs or stops 4l and 4l of the said revolving mit. In this position (if the shaft l5 should be turned by any means other than the friction-wheels) the springs 44 should be under tension enough to normally hold the said nut and accessory devices in the middle position shown, and also to turn the wheel 35 when this wheel is not controlled by hand.

In operating the mechanism, the wheels (5 and 8 being .revolving as described, the operator seizes the hand-wheel 35, and through this turns the nut 23 on shaft l5, thereby turning the stop-collar 4 2 away from its stopkey 40, and engaging one of the frictionwl] eels, which engagement starts revolving, as before set forth, the shaft l5. On releasing wheel the spring 44 retracts the stop-collar, and through this and stop 4l "turns back the nut 2S to disengage the friction-wheel and stop the mechanism. The said return movement of the said nut 2S is limited by the opposite lug thereon, for when the nut 2S is turned in one direction one stop-collar is cai'- ried JLjherewith, but the other docs not follow beyond the middle position shown in Fig. 1. The extent of the movement of the wheel 35 preceding the starting of shaft l5 is determined of course-by the particular proportions and construction or adjustment of the several details, and maybe varied within considerable limits at the discretion of the constructor.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. In a mechanism of the class specified, the combination, with a driven shaft and re- IOO ITO

versely-operatin g driving apparatus, substantially as described, of a sliding collar connected to engage and disengage said apparatus, and a revolving' nut carried in a fixed position longitudinally on said shaft, constructed to actuate said collar and adapted to be revolved by hand, all substantially `as described.

2. In a mechanism of the class specified, the combination of the shaft 15, driving apparatuses, substantially as described, for rcversely revolving said shaft, collar 36,0011- nected to engage and disengage said apparatuses one at a time, the revolving nut, and the hand-wheel connected to revolve said nut independently of and turn the sameon said shaft, all substantially as described.

3. In a mechanism of the class specified, the combination, with the shaft 15, provided With a sliding collar, a clutch-rod, and driving apparatuses, substantially as described, of the revolving shell constructed to actuate said collar and adapted to be revolved independently of said shaft, and devices, substantially as described, operating to normally hold said shell in a middle position, as vset forth, circumferentially of said shaft, substantially as described.

4. In a mechanism of the class specified, the combination of the shaft 15, having a stop-key, rod 25, collar 36, connected to said rod, the revolving nut actuating` said collar and having lug 41, stop-collar 42, engaging said stop-key and lug, and a spring actuating 5. In a mechanism of the class specified, the combination of shaft ,15, collar 36,0011- nected to engage the driving-Wheels, substantially as described, the revolving shell actuating said collar, and oppositely-disposed stop-collars actuated, substantially as described, to normally hold said shell in a middle position circumferentially of said shaft, substantially as described.

6. In a mechanism of the class specified, the combination, With a frame-Work, of the main shaft 15, Wheels Sand 8, clutches 16 and 1S, rod 25, collar 36, connected to said rod, and

a revolving part, substantially as described, carried on said shaft and adapted to be revolved independently of the shaft to actuate said collar, all substantially as described.

7. In a mechanism of the class specified, the combination, With the shaft 15, having enlargement 2G and slot 37, of the rod 25, key 3S, collar 36, and a revolving shell, substantially as described, actuating said collar and taking its bearings on said shaft at either end of said enlargement, substantially as described.

8. ln a mechanism of the class specified, the combination, with the shaft 15, having` key 40, of the shell having lug 41, and stopcollar 42, having spaces 48 and 49, substantially as described.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

LEWIS C. HEERMANN, HENRY L. RECKARD. 

